CEBU Pacific, one of the country’s coveted airlines, continues its pursuit of excellence by constantly providing its customers the experience they seek through conscious efforts on service.
Heading the team tasked to provide such efforts is Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and customer experience.
Candice has long been part of JG Summit Holdings Inc., the conglomerate behind the airline company. Prior to Cebu Pacific, she was brand manager of snack-food and beverage company Universal Robina Corp. for three years; worked for a multinational company for two years; came back as general manager for Jobstreet for four years then to Cebu Pacific as director for marketing before taking on her current position.
There’s a lot that goes behind customer service for an airline company. It takes a lot of planning for situations both predicted and unforeseen. With this in mind, the company strives further by looking at things from a passenger’s perspective through the customer journey which has three stages: Dream, plan and book.
“There’s really a conscious effort from the airline to understand the customer journey; look at what the customer is going through so that we can map the process, meet our customer’s expectations and look at what it will entail for our employees to actually deliver it,” said Candice.
Though it may take time, she shared that what matters most is identifying the important experiences for its customers. Also, the company makes sure to look after its employees’ learning and growth in order to be able to deliver.
“More than transparency, integrity is a value that’s important to us because it’s about doing the right thing,” Candice said.
Candice further shared Cebu Pacific’s goals which includes helping the country achieve its tourism targets and connecting more dots in its existing network.
Looking back, she said that compared to a fast-moving consumer goods company, because the airline is about service, the product is consumed as it is made and delivered by people to people, which is a different undertaking. But, it is because of its unpredictability that she continues to be motivated by these facts: Airlines like Cebu Pacific impacts lives and flying is an adventure and an incomparable, teachable moment; something she values most.
“What’s personal to me is you almost see that it flicks a switch for people,” she shared citing Cebu Pacific’s annual and anticipated backpacking trip “Juan for Fun” as an example, where young individuals jet off to different parts of the country—some participants being first-time flyers. Which is why she shared that though she’s been at this for a long time, it doesn’t feel that way. Every day presents something different.
“Traveling isn’t just transformative, it’s about how if you travel to a destination for the first time, you always notice what’s different: The differences in culture, ways of behavior, ways of dressing. But if you travel often enough, you actually start noticing that we’re all the same. That’s what draws me and keeps me in the industry—being part of an organization that enables that. I can see how Cebu Pacific builds communities and improves the lives of people. It’s very tangible and an instrument when it comes to nation-building.”